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Iron Monkey is a thrilling 1993 adventure directed by Yuen Woo-Ping, now better known as the action director of The Matrix and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Audiences who approach Iron Monkey after seeing the latter two Hollywood-produced hit movies will not be disappointed here, either by the physical prowess of the stars or the astonishing action set-pieces (especially an interlude atop a set of "Chinese poles"), which are staged for maximum dynamism. The story concerns the real-life Cantonese patriot Wong Fei-Hung, who is first introduced as an earnest boy travelling with his upright pugilist father (Donnie Yen) and drawing inspiration from the activities of the benevolent masked bandit known as the Iron Monkey (Yu Rong-Guang), a sort of Oriental Robin Hood. Ever since the late 1800s Wong Fei-Hung has evolved into an icon of Chinese pop culture and he's been a central figure in Hong Kong cinema since the 1950s, notably in Tsui Hark's Once Upon a Time in China series. Yuen Woo-Ping's fight sequences for his version of the legend are a powerful combination of the older, Baltic style of kung fu action and the newer body-slamming style pioneered by Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung. If you thought you were allergic to martial arts but loved Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, this is the perfect picture to continue your exploration of the genre. --David Chute, Amazon.com

On the DVD: This is a handsome-looking anamorphic (16:9) widescreen transfer, although the soundtrack is in mono. You can select either the dubbed English version or the original Cantonese with English subtitles. Extra features include trailers, photo galleries, biographies and interviews with both star Donnie Yen (in English) and director Yuen Woo-Ping (subtitled).

Release Date: Mar 26, 2001
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